In Passing
by Skylark Evanson
Summary: Bolin has hardly seen Mako without his scarf since. And he knows his brother is always safe with it.


**A/N: First shot at LoK stuff ^.^' Hope this doesn't flunk terribly…**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything at all.**

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Bolin remembers once when he was a boy and a scarf was passed onto him.

He recalls the moment when Mako, his big, strong brother, knelt down and crawled in the sewer to be near him, and they sat side-by-side in the little gutter, able to see only by the light that filtered in through the above grates. "Bo," said Mako in a soft, slow voice, "I need you to take care of something for me."

His big green eyes stared up at his idol as he watched Mako remove the scarf from his neck, curling it off like a snake coming up from a basket, and then he wrapped it around his baby brother's neck.

In Bolin's lap, Pabu's little head stuck out, curious of this new fabric. Soon realizing the immense cold that lay outside of his cocoon of Bolin's body and clothing, the fire ferret hid away once more, even snuggling up into the scarf a bit.

And Bo's wide eyes grew wider still as he looked at his brother with a mix of delight and puzzlement. "But this is yours," he said, taking one end of it in dirty, nubby finger and half-offering it back to him with an innocent look.

"I want you to take care of it for me," murmured Mako, unable to meet his brother's sweet gaze. Instead, he found interest in a stray thread of his fingerless gloves. "I need to go out tonight and I want you to have it."

"But you'll be cold out there!" urged the younger, almost unwrapping the scarf again until his big brother's firm hand put the action to rest. Bolin recalls the sad, torn expression painted on his sibling's face and his own simple naiveté. "I don't want you to get sick, Mako..."

"Just keep an eye on it, Bo." He offered a hopeful half-smile and patted his brother's head, evoking a grin from the younger. "Stay warm and stay here. And make sure Pabu doesn't wander off."

"I will!" chirped Bolin, happy as a sky bison in the air. And he watched his brother begin to depart and added as an afterthought, "Come back safe! I love you!"

Mako did not look back, but instead continued his crawl away from safety and into the dangers of the world above. "I love you too, little brother."

Bolin has hardly seen Mako without his scarf since. And he knows his brother is always safe with it.

* * *

Korra can recall the one time it was almost impossible to watch him pull that scarf from around his neck.

She knows the day, even down to the minute. He was being deported out to Iroh's fleet. She didn't feel sick to her stomach persay, but she certainly felt uneasy watching him go. His strength powered her, and his fearlessness gave her hope. Now that he was leaving, she could feel it all draining away, especially when he began to pull his most prized possession from around his neck.

"No, Mako, no," she protested, even thrashing against him lightly while silver tears bubbled in her eyes. "You need to take that with you. Safety precautions and-"

"I want it to stay here with you," he said softly, managing to get it wrapped around her, one of her perfectly tanned arms caught in the fabric and pinned tightly to her body. Seeing her like this, he began to untangle her from the red fabric. "I don't want it getting lost or flying away. You know it means the world to me."

"It keeps you safe," she remembers saying. Because somehow, she associates that scarf with protection, loyalty, and undying love. "I want it to keep you safe, Mako. You can't just go with Iroh and not take a little piece of home with you."

With a sly smirk, he holds up a picture of the two of them in front of Avatar Aang's massive statue, both with hilarious faces on, each expression coated in unadulterated love for the other. "I'll have a piece of home with me."

She protested, "You should still-"

"I know you'll keep it safe for me, Korra," he murmured in her ear after placing a chaste kiss on her cheek. "Take care of Bo for me," Mako said with the best smile he could muster while still keeping his strength. In those eyes, he was barely holding back tears. And as he jumped into the plane that would carry him to Iroh's ship, he waved back at her and even added loudly, "And Pabu!"

She smiled and waved, watching as that plane carried him off into the big blue sky. She wanted so badly to go with him; instead, she stayed on the ground and waved back, unaware that she was carrying their first child...

* * *

But the hardest time to see it, for Mako, was the last time he would ever see it.

Mako had wrapped up Pabu's lifeless body in his scarf; he didn't want to lose his scarf because it was natural having it, but it felt... right to lay it to rest with their lost comrade.

It was memories, it was family, it was comfort, but he had all of that now too, with his four kids, his beautiful wife, his brother's little family of three, and the entire Airbender family, not to mention the entire police force.

Yes, the scarf was reminiscent of his parents and their lives and their passing, but he had all of those memories stored inside of his own mind, where he could never lose them. They weren't material, memories and emotions were never meant to be so, but he'd clung onto that scarf to keep them close; Mako hadn't once considered that they were too ingrained to forget.

He delicately handed the precious thing to Bolin, whose eyes were silver with misty tears, and he was so close to bawling. So Mako, with a both knowing and reassuring half-smile directed towards his brother, carefully took Pabu's lifeless body back, still wrapped up in the scarf, and knelt down to place it in the small grave they'd dug on Air Temple Island under a big, twisted tree. He looked at the red fabric and knew he was doing the right thing, laying memories to rest along with a good friend, who could always use the comfort.

The funeral commenced.

Mako never once regretted his decision.

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**A/N: Review? Constructive criticism is welcomed, thank you!**

**~Sky**


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